Turley to get surprise shot at former world champion Moreno

Cefn Fforest’s Robbie Turley (14-5, 2KO) is scheduled for a surprise shot against a former world champion. The 28-year-old’s handlers have been in deep negotiations for Turley to face Panama’s Anselmo Moreno (35-3-1, 12KO) in a non-title eight round contest. The bout will take place on 28 March at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena as part of Matchroom Sport’s undercard for Kell Brook’s first IBF world welterweight title defence, live on Sky Sports. Turley, who trains at St Joseph’s Boxing Club in Newport, will be a heavy underdog against Moreno but he enters the fight having just scored the best win of his career, a Unanimous Decision over Jamie Speight. In November, Turley won every round of his British title eliminator against Southern Area champion Jamie Speight. The win should make Turley mandatory for the winner of Friday’s vacant title fight in Liverpool between part-Welshman Josh Wale and James ‘Jazza’ Dickens. Moreno won the WBA world bantamweight title in 2008 and racked up 10 consecutive victorious defences, including a Unanimous Decision victory over Vic Darchinyan. In 2012, the 29-year-old moved 4lbs north to the super-bantamweight division but he was defeated on points by America’s three-weight world champion, Abner Mares. Moreno then moved backed to bantamweight and defended his title on two more occasions before suffering a Technical Decision defeat against the undefeated Juan Carlos Payano in September. Turley’s eight-year career has had its highs, including Welsh Area and Celtic title wins, plus giving Belfast’s Carl Frampton one of his hardest fights on route to becoming IBF world champion. However, Turley’s also experienced bitter lows and it was never lower than when brain scan queries forced the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) to suspend his license for three years. When Turley returned in 2014, he scored two quick wins but was unable to regain old momentum and he was stopped in his rematch with Dai Davies for the Welsh Area featherweight title in September. The Welshman will no longer appear on Sanigar Events’ ‘Unfinished Business’ show at the Newport Centre on 13 March as previously planned.